Together – Effective – Advantageous – Members
TEAM
From the day of my birth, I have
been a member of a team. Initially, my family was my team, primarily led by my
father, with administrative guidance from my mother. I was the first-born; and,
with that come expectations that do not fall to other siblings. The first-born
is often the child upon whom parenting skills are honed and experimented,
especially when one is born before the “wisdom” of Dr. Spock, sarcasm intended.
To this day, I have never understood how so many accepted his information as
gospel, a man who neither had children nor helped raise children. Nonetheless,
my parents provided the foundation of teamwork and that base has helped me to
relate, engage, and improve others team of which I have been a member.
As far back as I can remember, each
family member had specific tasks that were coordinated for the benefit of the
group. My dad worked, my mother stayed home. During the week, my brother and I
had specific chores designed to be completed so as to allow time for school
work. On the weekends, we all came together to tackle such jobs as spreading
mulch, weeding flower beds, mowing the lawn, or painting the house. When my
father needed a break from coordinating the day’s tasks, mom would either fix
lunch or bring us all something to drink. Because we worked together and
because the tasks given to me and my brother increased as we grew older, each of
us knew we could depend on the other to perform his or her job with little
oversight. Help was but a request away. Those team efforts, now treasured
memories, helped to develop trust and helped me to have a sense of what an
effective team looks like and what can be accomplished when one exists.
Although none of the teams I have
been a member of come close to the team headed by General Gus Pagonis during
Desert Storm, each has gone through the four stages: forming, norming,
storming, and performing, and these stages have helped me to become a better
team member (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). I learned the part I was to play as
well as a sense of disconnect, especially when teams were formed with folks I
did not know. When I know my role and what I am responsible for, I find it
easier to interact and prepare for the next stage of building the team (Whetten
& Cameron, 2011). It is at this stage where the expectations espoused by
Peter Wadsworth, engineer for Illuminator, begin to emerge. As noted by
Wadsworth, a team becomes the mechanism where members meet, share ideas, design
events, develop goods, and manufacture deliverables (as cited in Whetten &
Cameron, 2012). The norming stage is my favorite part of the process for this
very reason. I actively engage. Engagement can mean anything from bringing
coffee and donuts, discussing problems and potential solutions, or simply being
a devil’s advocate when it seems the team is going along just to get along
(Whetten & Cameron, 2011). I am that persistent three year old who will ask
why more often than how or what.
A favorite quote of mine comes from
Thomas Jefferson in a letter to his nephew. I had researched the subject of the
separation between church and state and that research led me to a letter
Jefferson wrote to his nephew wherein he said, “Question
with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must
more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear” (The
Jefferson Monticello, 1987). The willingness to question and encourage an open
discussion has strengthened my ability to weather the storming stage and work
with a team to not only improve cohesiveness; but, meet the final objective. In
an effort to manage potential conflict, I try to create an environment with a
declaration such as, dumb questions do not exist, and, I would rather team
members express doubts and concerns, rather than keep them bottled up inside,
waiting for an almost certain explosion. Having sailed through the storm, with little
damage, the most enjoyable part of the team is when all cylinders are firing in
harmonious synchronicity and a synergy, specific to the team, leads to “a level
of performance above the ordinary” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 505). When
that pinnacle is reached, it is easy to look back and smile with wonderment as
a group of individuals came together and collectively figured out the pieces to
the puzzle that led to a successful achievement of the team’s goal. That’s the
moment when we all “honk”!
Teamwork
is not an easy undertaking; but, those early years helped me to build upon the
solid foundation given to me by my parents. I have learned there are times to
stay quiet and listen, and there are times to speak up and question. There is a
time for comedic relief and there is a time to put my shoulder to the
grindstone. There is a time to be on the frontline and a time to fall back and
function in a support role. Learning how to bring a team together and maintain
those contacts, even when the team disbands, such as when children grow up and
leave the family nest, are skills I treasure and use each and every day.
References
The Jefferson
Monticello. (1987). Jefferson’s Religious Beliefs. In Research & Collections.
Whetten, D.A.,
& Cameron, K.S. (2011). Developing
Management Skills. (8th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education
Inc.
Whetten, D.A.,
& Cameron, K.S. (2012). The Illuminator Project: Groups and Teams at
Kluster.
[Video file]. Developing Management Skills. Retrieved from
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